Page 69 of Stolen Hearts

Rhae crawled over to join them, her head landing against his shoulder, her hand resting on Navy’s tiny back. “Oh, Denver…you’re the best dad Navy could ever ask for. And the best partnerIcould ever ask for.”

The room was quiet for a beat, full of that rare kind of peace that seeped into their bones.

This was what he wanted. What he’d never let himself dream about before—because it had seemed too good, too fragile.

Now it was real. He could feel it in the weight of Navy’s head on his chest, in the way Rhae’s fingers threaded through his.

And still…something lurked beneath the joy. A shadow under the light.

“Rhae…” he said quietly.

She turned her face to look up at him. “Hmm?”

“I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I need to say it.”

She didn’t move, just waited.

“I know this feels like peace. Like we’re safe. And weare, for now. But Ravencroft’s still out there. And I’m getting closer. I’ve been working angles, getting intel.”

Her expression changed—still soft, but watchful now.

“I’m gonna bring him down.” Denver’s voice roughened on the promise. “I’ll bring him to his knees and have him begging for mercy before he ever gets near you or Navy again.”

Rhae’s hand moved over his, squeezing.

“I’ll be the shield between you and that bastard. You won’t ever set eyes on him again. I’ll make sure of it.”

Rhae nodded slowly, tears shining in her eyes, but they didn’t fall.

They didn’t need to. He saw everything in her face.

Gratitude.

Fear.

Love.

He leaned over and kissed her temple, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo and feeling the steel underneath her softness. She’d been through hell, but he’d walk through the flames to keep them from swallowing her.

Chapter Fifteen

The clock ticked by in a steady rhythm, a quiet companion to Rhae. She was rarely alone, but Honor had stopped by to take Navy to art therapy with the guys again.

Rhae had kissed her daughter’s chubby cheek before passing her off to Honor. She was a godsend, and Rhae appreciated how much her daughter loved their special visits.

She looked toward the playmat, just laying there on the floor, all the little toys sprawled across it ready for Navy to come back and play.

She returned to writing her notes about the last therapy session. Her patient was making big leaps in his mental health, but most of the credit should go to the hard work on the ranch. Repairing fence, moving cattle to better grazing land and cleaning out the barn gave that veteran more grounding in the real world than Rhae ever could. But she was proud to be part of his care.

A knock on the door made her look up. Quickly, she closed the notebook and pushed away from her desk, calling out, “Come in!”

The door opened, and surprise washed over her. “Justin.”

He stepped in, darting a look around. “Is this a good time?”

“Of course.” She offered him a smile, though she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. She still wasn’t quite sure about the man, as their last session hadn’t felt very productive. But sometimes it happened. She could only hope this session was an improvement on their time together.

She wished she had found a few minutes to dig up more about him. But there would be time for that later.

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